


Key Rings

by Muuze



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-09-05
Packaged: 2018-04-19 05:06:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4733798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muuze/pseuds/Muuze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the first time a key ring landed on his desk, Phil knew that Barton had something to do with it.</p><p>...who knew novelty key rings could bring you together?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Key Rings

From the first time a key ring landed on his desk, Phil knew that Barton had something to do with it.

It had been a particularly stressful mission- they had nearly lost Barton _and_ Johnson when the latter had accidentally set off a trip wire, and it was only due to the fact that the circuit had been faulty (he later found that it had been chewed by some kind of rodent) that they both weren't blown to bits. 

When the mission had been successfully completed despite this, Phil had given them a small window of time to explore the city and walk off any leftover panic or adrenaline that came from nearly dying.

It was after that mission that the key ring had shown up on his desk, a rectangle thing with the phrase _'the world according to PHILLIP_ '. It was clearly one of those generic ones where you can find your own name, and it was a silly, tacky gift. 

Phil loved it. 

He wasn't sure _why_ he loved it- he just did. 

Everyone always assumed that Phil had a 'married-to-the-job-I'm-a-robot' attitude, and it had often proven to be the only thing that got Agents to listen to him in situations where he didn't have time to explain. The truth was he liked a laugh and a joke as much as the next person, and for some unknown reason the key ring made him laugh. 

He wasn't sure if it was meant as a joke or an insult, but he liked it all the same. It reminded him of the mission- his no nonsense attitude, putting Johnson down a peg when he'd tried to interrupt with a suggestion about the plan that was completely irrelevant. 

It seemed like just the thing Barton would think was funny. It also presented a problem. _Two_ problems, if Phil actually thought about it (which he definitely didn't do all through his lunch break.)

The first problem was that he couldn't actually prove who the key ring was from. It could have been from anyone- all they had to do was just wait for Phil to leave his Office to go grab a coffee, and place it on his desk. When he saw the key ring his mind immediately thought 'Barton', and he had smiled. Which brought him to problem number two:

He had _liked_ the idea that the key ring was from Barton.

It was thoughts like those that were dangerous. After all, it was a silly, probably less than a dollar key ring, that you could most likely find in a truck stop. 

Definitely not something to put a smile on his face.

He checked no one was watching, before he unlocked his desk drawer and brought out another set of keys- ones to restricted areas. He added the _world according to PHILLIP_ key ring to the bunch, before carefully setting it back in his drawer and locking it away.

There. He had gotten rid of the evidence that he was actually sentimental and kept gifts, and that he liked stupid key rings.

No one had to know.

But that was just the beginning.

* - - > *

The key rings kept showing up. There was no set pattern to it, and sometimes Phil would go months on end without receiving any key rings in which he would almost forget about the whole thing.  
Once he even received two key rings at the same time.

They both had names meanings, and one said _'Phil. Greek in origin, meaning 'friend, dear, beloved.'_ the other read _'PHIL. In Greek the name means 'lover of horses'. He has a kind, gentle soul'_

Phil kept remembering the key rings throughout the day, and smiling to himself. He still hadn't worked out who was giving them to him and as time went on he found himself wanting to thank whoever it was.

For just a little while he could forget that he was an Agent of Shield- in charge of so many people's lives, and yet going home to an empty apartment. It was as if he could just pretend that the key rings were from a friend or someone who cared about him.

It may have been sad, but it helped him feel a little less lonely. 

His favourite key ring also happened to be the one that led to him finding out who the mysterious key ring bandit was.

It was a little blue dinosaur, and it had the name PHILODACTYL underneath. It was obviously aimed at children, and there were most likely other names with -saur or -asarus added to the end to create fictional dinosaurs. 

He couldn't stop grinning. It was just so stupid.

He felt no shame as he added it to his house keys. It became the only key ring from the collection that had been put somewhere that someone might actually see it. And for once, Phil didn't even care. 

Which was probably why he was spinning his keys around his fingers as he walked through the corridors at stupid o'clock in the morning, determined to go home even for an hour before he had to be back in for a meeting. 

He wasn't really paying attention, which was why he nearly bumped into Barton as he walked out of the elevator. Startled, he dropped his keys and only just managed to keep hold of the folder of paperwork he couldn't quite bring himself to leave behind.

"You that tired, huh Sir?" Barton asked, bending down to scoop up Phil's keys whilst Phil was still trying to process the fact that he had dropped them. He was too tired for human interaction, so he couldn't be blamed if he had less filters than usual. 

He hummed an agreement. "Trying to go home so I can pretend I work normal hours for once. It's not really working" 

Barton laughed, and then seemed to notice the keys he had picked up.

"Oh hey, you kept it"

Phil frowned, looking first at the paperwork in his hand wondering how on earth Barton knew what it was, before remembering that Barton was still holding his keys.

His house keys.

With the dinosaur key ring on.

Trying not to blush (he was a grown man, he was not going to blush any more, dammit) he tried to reach out and grab the keys, but Barton was too quick as usual.

He moved them out of Phil's reach, and grinned.

"Uh uh, not so fast. I thought you'd just been throwing them away or whatever. I guess the dinosaur one was a hit. Who knew"

Phil sighed.

"Alright Barton, laugh it up. Yes, I have a dinosaur key ring. And yes- I think it is kind of cool- but no one would believe you if you told them. Now can I please have the keys back before it isn't even worth leaving? It's already taking too much effort to get to my car. If it takes any longer, I may just lay down here in the hallway and take a nap" 

He expected to hear Barton laugh, but instead he just smiled a genuine smile.

"That one was my favourite too. Mine says 'Clintosaur' which sounds pretty epic, don't you think?" Barton- _Clint_ , it was rude to call him Barton when he wasn't in Agent mode- handed Phil his keys back, and Phil frowned.

"So it was you?"

Clint shuffled nervously from foot to foot.

"Yes? I mean, I thought you knew? The first one was right after the first mission when I nearly died, and you gave us some free time to walk it off. I ended up in a stupid gift shop, and noticed the key ring. It just seemed like something you'd find funny and before I knew it I'd bought it. I know it was kind of stupid...I just thought it'd be something you might have got a kick out of. Then I just sort of carried on..." Clint shrugged, as if he thought Phil would tell him it was stupid. 

"I knew it was you!! I mean, I don't know _why_ , but I was pretty sure it was you" Phil raised his arm and had to stop himself in time, as he realised he was about to do a celebratory fist pump. Sleep was definitely needed. 

Clint laughed, and Phil realised he may not have styled it out as well as he thought.

"Hey, so since you don't really seem to be with it at the moment, did you want me to give you a lift home? I mean, I'm sure you could probably drive yourself, but I'd feel terrible if you fell asleep at the wheel or something. ...not that I'm saying you should come home with me, because if I _was_ saying that, I'd be more outright and say it, with more style..." Clint seemed to know he was waffling but couldn't seem to be able to stop.

Phil just laughed before finally putting Clint out of his misery. 

"Sure. I probably shouldn't drive when I'm this tired anyway. Thanks" 

Clint nodded, and they made their way to the parking garage in relatively comfortable silence.

"My place or yours?" Clint asked as they made it to his car.

"Which is closer?" there was a pause as Phil seemed to realise the implication of what he said, before he hastily added on "for sleeping! I mean going to sleep. Which one would allow maximum sleep time?" 

"Mine's just a couple blocks from here, if that doesn't bother you" Clint offered, and Phil just shrugged. He'd slept in worse places. 

The drive back to Clint's was silent, and he had assumed that Phil had fallen asleep.

It wasn't until they pulled up outside his apartment, that Phil spoke.

"If you were asking me, what style would you have?"

"Huh?"

"Home. If you did ask me home with you, what line would you use? You said you'd have more style" Phil pondered, and Clint shrugged.

"I'd either just ask you what you were doing later, and if you wanted to do it with me"

"That is pretty smooth, Barton. Subtle, I like it" 

"You know me, all about the subtlety. You coming inside?" Clint got out of the car, and headed to unlock the door.

Phil was definitely sure this was flirting. Or at least something, which he didn't mind at all.

Clint led the way into his apartment, and gave Phil a quick tour pointing out the kitchen, bathroom, and spare room. 

Phil took a moment to head to the bathroom and freshen up, and Clint started on some coffee.

A few minutes later Phil wandered in to see Clint leaning against the cupboard, coffee in hand. 

"Y'know, I still have some key rings I hadn't given to you yet" Clint grinned, and Phil couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Oh really?"

"Yep." He opened a drawer beside him, and shuffled through it. He picked one and tossed it to Phil. "These ones doesn't have your name on, and I thought this one was a bit too blunt to just give it to you. Besides, you might have thought it was from Johnson" Clint smirked.

_'Blink if you want me'_

Phil laughed, and moved over to the drawer and began pulling out key rings at random.

"Some of these are pretty good.. _'Admit it...life would be boring without me'_ I would definitely have known that was from you. How about _'KISS ME I'M AWESOME'?_ That one is pretty subtle" Phil teased, and Clint couldn't help but laugh.

"I hadn't worked up the courage to give you those ones yet" 

"Well it would have worked" Phil replied, smirking when Clint seemed lost for words. Using this as a cue to get some rest, Phil headed to the guest room. He would have loved to stay and flirt with Clint some more, but if he did, he wouldn't get any sleep.

"Oh no you don't!" Clint called, moving quickly to stop Phil from shutting himself off into the guest room. "You can't say that and then just leave. Did you mean it?" 

Phil nodded.

"Fine. But I'm taking this before you sleep" Clint said, leaning in close to kiss Phil. He moved slowly, clearly showing his intention and leaving Phil time to move away. He didn't.  
The kiss was quick and over too soon, but it was full of promise and potential. 

They couldn't keep the smiles off their faces as they went to their separate rooms, both of them knowing that this was just the beginning. 

 

* ---> *

_6 months later._

"Barton, with me" Phil called, nodding at Clint as they left the meeting room. 

"You called, Sir?" 

"Mission prep is done and your ride leaves in two hours. Don't be late. Oh and Barton? This is for you. Open it later, after you've read the mission spec" Phil said, handing over a small, oddly shaped package that had been quickly wrapped with a sheet of paper that Clint was sure used to be part of a mission report. With that Phil left, leaving Clint to turn the present over in his hand, before carefully putting it in his pocket.

Work came first.

He had forgotten all about the present, until he was sitting in the back of a humvee three hours later. 

Carefully unwrapping the package, he couldn't stop grinning as he realised it was a key ring. Phil had given _him_ a key ring.

When he saw what it said, he burst into laughter, keeping the key ring close to his chest to stop the other Agents from trying to look at it.

This was definitely meant for his eyes only, and only Phil would somehow manage to find such a key ring.

_'Please tell your pants IT'S NOT POLITE TO POINT'_

There was a note taped to the back of the key ring, written quickly in Phil's handwriting- _well I guess you shouldn't wear pants then._

Dating Phil was definitely the best decision he had made, all thanks to a stupid key ring.

**Author's Note:**

> Let's just say I have been in quite a few gift shops lately.
> 
> Also, in case anyone wonders the 'Please tell your pants IT'S NOT POLITE TO POINT' key ring is in fact a real key ring. It amused me more than it probably should have.


End file.
